Dentsu reshuffles leadership and launches global practices structure

Dentsu has reshuffled its leadership and unveiled a global practices structure to centralise its teams and change the face of integrated growth delivery for clients.  

Led by Jean Linn (pictured far left), group president, global practices, Dentsu Group. The launch underpins dentsu’s ambition to build highly integrated, people-centred, end-to-end solutions to drive transformational client growth, while emphasising dentsu’s commitment to its global leadership brands including Carat, iProspect, dentsu X, Dentsu Creative, Merkle and Tag.  

The launch comes with a few appointments, with Yasuharu Sasaki (pictured second left) becoming its global chief creative officer, leading dentsu’s global creative practice.  

In this new role leading dentsu’s global creative practice, Sasaki will be responsible for driving expertise to unlock the full potential of dentsu’s creative capability and impact across all practice areas.  

He will lead the go-to-market brand proposition of Dentsu Creative and nurture global practitioners in creative, planning, innovation and design to build a strong community.  

In addition to building a world-class creative practice, Sasaki will set the creative standard, and reinforce dentsu’s creative philosophy and culture across practices for the whole of dentsu. He retains his current responsibilities. 

Meanwhile, Will Swayne (pictured second right) is appointed as global practice president of media. Within his new role, Swayne is responsible for leading dentsu’s global media practice.  

His focus will be on building a winning media practice community that delivers continued excellence in its offering to clients, driving client growth and transformation.   

He will partner with dentsu’s four regions and its three global media brands, working closely with their respective global brand presidents including Fiona Lloyd (Carat) and Amanda Morrissey, (iProspect).  

Swayne will set the vision to future-proof dentsu’s media capability, enable media brands to be the gateway to scaled client growth, and deliver implementation excellence powered by dentsu’s supply-side management platform Amplifi.  

Pete Stein (pictured far right) becomes global practice president of customer experience management (CXM), taking over the global leadership role of Merkle as global president of Merkle.  

In this role, he will partner with dentsu’s all four regions to ensure the implementation of the dentsu transformation agenda and global CXM practice initiatives in each region and market.  

On the other hand, Peter Huijboom will step away from his role as CEO, media, international markets at the end of this year and will partner with Giulio Malegori, group chief operating officer, Dentsu Group to transition dentsu’s key client relationships in an advisory role as executive advisor, client relations.

Huijboom will use his considerable client-facing experience in creating a global, client-centric account servicing model, in partnership with the global practices organisation, global client presidents and regional CEOs. 

“With the creation of our global practices, dentsu is making a statement about what the future of integrated, end-to-end client solutions will look like. Clients tell us they want elegant and seamless services which help them deliver on transformational outcomes. We’re removing the barriers and that will allow us to do just that in a way which very few others in the industry can match,” said Lin.

“I’m so proud to bring together this new line-up of global practice leads and, in turn, their leadership teams, to do just that – unlock the potential of dentsu’s integrated capabilities to help our clients not only grow, but answer some of the greatest challenges of our time," she added.

“As a fundamental part of our one dentsu strategy, we are bringing together the talent, innovation and structures that truly position dentsu as a global, integrated growth and transformation partner to brands,” said Hiroshi Igarashi, president and CEO, Dentsu Group.

“Under Lin’s leadership, within our global practice structure, we count many of the world’s most respected and historic agency brands, full of deep expertise and differentiated services. By creating a cross-service structure, we are simultaneously integrating those capabilities while ensuring clients can still benefit from distinct knowledge," he added.

Don't miss: Dentsu Group beefs up group management team with new appointments

This comes after Dentsu Group recently bolstered its group management team by appointing Giulio Malegori as its group chief operating officer and Jean Lin as its group president of global practices at Dentsu Group.

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